PhD defence S. (Stijn) Weterings

Summary:

People with intellectual disabilities (ID) generally have more health problems than the general population. Multiple studies show for example that the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, such as type-2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidaemia and being overweight/obesity, is high in (older) adults with ID. The standard therapy for people with ID when diagnosed with CVD risk factors is still providing medication. However, in the general population increased physical activity (PA) and exercise are found to improve CVD risk factors. Increasing PA levels and exercising can reduce or even eliminate the need for medication to improve CVD risk factors. However, the effect of PA or exercise on CVD risk factors has not yet been widely studied in adults with ID.
Resistance-exercise training (RT) is a form of PA. Clear guidelines for RT to improve cardiovascular health exist for the general population. There is also a clear dose response relationship: more exercise sessions improve the cardiovascular health more, and a vigorous RT-program improves cardiovascular health more than a moderate RT-program. RT also has potential beneficial effects on reducing sarcopenia and may improve the ability to perform daily activities. RT could be feasible for adults with ID, because it requires short bouts of exercise of a limited number of repetitions followed by a resting period. However, it is not known if a vigorous RT-program is feasible for adults with ID. Therefore, the aim of this thesis is to study if individuals with ID with CVD risk factors can perform a RT-program at vigorous intensity. The second aim of this thesis is to find feasible, reliable and responsive fitness tests to be able to measure and evaluate the physical fitness of adults with ID.